The Unforgettable Dish Carmy's Mom Waxes Nostalgic About On The Bear

In a heartfelt scene of amends between Carmy and his mom, Donna, on the Season 4 finale of "The Bear," she recalls a simple dish that a woman made for her once in Italy. The meal, as she describes it, was served cold and made of roasted red peppers with a sauce that was like "mayonnaise with fish" (via Yahoo). Donna confesses the meal was "delicious," but "looked disgusting." Carmy simply recalls the dish: "tonnato."

For many non-Italian Americans watching, this prompted a swift but fervent Google search for the unforgettable dish Carmy's mom had waxed so nostalgic about. In its traditional presentation, the sauce — made of tuna, anchovies, capers, lemon, egg yolks, and olive oil — is draped on cold meats, particularly Vitello tonnato (or veal in tuna sauce). The recipe Donna refers to is, instead, Peperone tonnato, which consists of charred red peppers in a mayonnaise-y tuna sauce.

As delicious as it is when paired with meat, modern presentations of tonnato regularly pair it with a variety of raw or grilled vegetables — everything from potatoes, green beans, and tomatoes (for a Salade niçoise-style bite), to cauliflower, broccolini, and zucchini, and even asparagus, carrots, cucumber, and radicchio. If you like tuna, you'll find tonnato goes well on anything enlivened by a fierce umami kick. Well-balanced in its smoothly blended combination of creamy oil and egg, salty capers and anchovy, and vibrant lemon, the pungent tinned fish, though perfectly present, never overpowers. Get the consistency just right for your palate and you'll never look back.  

Start by roasting your peppers in the oven, stovetop, or grill, until charred and soft. Once you've finished peeling and de-seeding them, it's time to make your sauce. Tonnato works best in a traditional blender, bullet, or food processor. This is because the pureed emulsification of all the ingredients coalesces into one, creating a velvety smooth and stable sauce with beautifully balanced savory flavor. It will also save you time (and mixing-arm aches) compared to mincing and hand-whisking it all. 

Next, decide how much effort you want to put into your tonnato and your ideal consistency. Fancy dinner for your crush? Use good quality extra virgin olive oil, fresh eggs, and a ripe juicy lemon to whip up your fresh tonnato. Short on time? Grab a jar of mayo and add some to your blender, along with a little extra olive oil, the fish and capers and you're off and dipping before your lunch break's over. Want to turn up the egg a bit in your tonnato, while adding a thicker body to your sauce? Soft boil the eggs and add them to the blender with the other ingredients for a chunkier bite.

Wanna play? Add a dollop of dijon, a hit of wasabi, or your favorite chile for a burst of signature flavor. Then, spoon your tonnato on a plate before piling on the peppers, or drizzle it on top, garnishing with basil leaves, sliced almonds, pine nuts, or olive pieces, and enjoy it today or tonight-o.